April 25, 2011
Season Stats (PDF)
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
The University of Maryland baseball team has a pair of mid-week games on tap as it plays host to Saint Joseph's at 7 p.m. on Tuesday before visiting George Mason at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Terps (17-25) will look to get back on track after dropping mid-week games to James Madison and Penn State last week and being swept by Virginia Tech over the weekend. Maryland had won 12 of its past 15 non-conference games prior to last week's defeats.
Freshmen have continued to play a big role for the Terps, with as many as six in the lineup on some days. Outfielder Charlie White leads the team in hitting at .301 and has hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games. White, who has batted leadoff the majority of the year, is also 15-for-15 on stolen bases.
Outfielder Austin Kilbourne has a .358 batting average, .528 slugging percentage and .462 on-base percentage in 18 games, 14 of them starts. First baseman/designated hitter Tim Kiene, meanwhile, has recorded multiple hits in five of the last 11 games and is hitting .355 over that stretch.
Also coming around offensively as of late is junior shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez, who had a 10-game hitting streak snapped in Saturday's loss to Virginia Tech. Since before the streak began, Rodriguez has raised his batting average 37 points to .275.
Pitching matchups for Tuesday and Wednesday have yet to be determined.
-- Scouting the Opponents -
Saint Joseph's comes into Tuesday's matchup with a 14-25 record and a 5-10 mark in the Atlantic 10. Sophomore infielder Greg Kumpel leads the team in hitting (.380), slugging (.504), on-base percentage (.453) and doubles (11) and is second with 20 RBI. Junior first baseman Kevin Taylor has a team-best 21 RBI and two home runs. As a team the Hawks are batting .245.
The Saint Joseph's pitching staff has a 4.85 team ERA, led by senior Dominic Favazza, who has made all 15 of his appearances in relief and owns a 2-1 record with a 2.28 ERA. In 23 2/3 innings Favazza has allowed 12 runs, six of them earned, on 23 hits and seven walks while striking out 16.
Maryland leads the all-time series with Saint Joseph's, 3-0. The teams last met on March 19, 2002, in College Park, a 6-4 Terrapin win.
George Mason is 16-25-1 and 4-17 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Wednesday will be the second meeting between the teams this year, as the Terps beat the Patriots 3-2 in College Park on March 31.
Junior outfielder Dan Shafferman leads the team in hitting with a .374 average and is one of five Patriots hitting better than .300. Junior third baseman Brig Tison (.372), sophomore infielder Christopher Cook (.343) and senior catcher Danny Lyons (.311) are also above the .300 mark as Mason is hitting .296 as a team.
The Mason pitching staff has a 5.81 ERA, led by freshman lefty Jake Kalish, who has a 1-2 record with a 3.60 ERA in 15 relief appearances. Kalish has allowed 14 runs, 12 of them earned, on 26 hits and 18 walks while striking out 19 in 30 innings of work.
The Terps trail the all-time series with George Mason, 21-22.
Scheduling Note: Tuesday's game with Saint Joseph's was added to the schedule to replace a March 23rd contest with St. John's that was cancelled due to inclement weather.
